Generational Archives
In this podcast, Dr. Norma D. Thomas and Dr. Raina J. León, present a show where they connect, heal, uncover through intergenerational conversations and archival research. A mother-daughter team, they have been collaborating on writing, facilitation, education projects, and research for ... well all of Raina's life. This podcast explores the closeness of their relationship and how they are together practicing attunement with their ancestors through their ancestral recovery work. They are pushing to learn the forgotten and erased names ... and will teach you how to do that, too! Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/generationalarchives/support
Episodes
In this episode, we share the discover of a relative, executed in the electric chair, whose case went all the way to the Supreme Court. It's been nearly a hundred years since John Logan was killed ... but why was his story never told until now?
Cover photo from Rohan DaCosta
Cover art from Dr. Raina J. León
Theme song, Funky Percussions, from ...
In this episode, we have guest, Je-Shawna Wholley, founder of Earthseed, who shares her own journey with generational research and the work of creating a space for other Black creatives and researchers to learn more about our people.
Cover photo from Rohan DaCosta
Cover art from Dr. Raina J. León
Theme song, Funky Percussions, from AudioCoffe...
She said, "Don't dream around Raina," but what happens if you do? Those dreams come true! In this episode, we talk about the building that will become the African American Museum of Fayette County, developing from the traveling museum. We talk programs, inspirations (Paul Robeson Museum, The Colored Girls Museum, and Libromobile among others), and the work to come.
Cover photo from Rohan DaCosta...
So what do you do when you get stuck in your archival research? You research alongside, talk to your people, and when an opening occurs, you never wait! This episode talks about some strategies to get unstuck, Facebook groups that can be good resources, and also trusting in the ancestors' revelations that will be right on time.
Cover photo from Rohan DaCosta
Cover art from Dr. ...
In this episode, we talk about handling your business: wills, insurance/policies, communication, organization, etc. and what that will open to you in assuring smooth transfers after we transition, preservation of our legacies, and even opportunities to connect to our ancestors through dreams.
Cover photo from Rohan DaCosta
Cover art from Dr. Raina J. León
In this episode, we talk about some of the core documents to help you on your genealogical journey: documents like the census ... and artifacts such as tombstones and stained glass. What can you find on those documents? And how can these documents give context to learning about your family?
Cover photo from Rohan DaCosta
Cover art from Dr. Raina J. León
In this episode, we talk about some of the core documents to help you on your genealogical journey: birth certificates, death certificates, and social security applications. What can you find on those documents? What are some of the regional differences? And how can these documents give context to learning about your family? We even talk about use of these documents in researching aunts and uncles, which may help you to get past ...
In this episode, we share some of the stories of Daddy Ning, Miguel Angel Léon, who was a Merchant Marine, sailed the world, and taught his children to fight and that no one could take away their self worth. We also use childhood photographs to get to more stories. What can you learn from the story of someone's grandfather? What do you know about yours?
Cover photo from Rohan DaCosta
Cover art from ...
In this episode, we talk about what we have learned from the last season, important discoveries, and what's coming (a permanent space for the museum, introductions to archival research, curriculum development, and more travel and connecting!)
Cover photo from Rohan DaCosta
Cover art from Dr. Raina J. León
Theme song, Funky Percussions, from AudioCoffee on ...
In this special episode, one of two, we interview Eddie León on his beginnings. The narrative extends from his beginnings in New York to Philadelphia, the struggle of coming up with his father traveling as a Merchant Marine most of the year (and common struggles of Puerto Ricans finding their way in New York City in the 1950s), and more. There's even a story of evil spirits, the landlord who sought to use spells to ill effect a...
This episode finds our podcast hosts in far-flung locations: Viareggio, Italy and Las Vegas, NV. The interview was done with James Thomas by Dr. Norma D. Thomas and is introduced by Dr. Raina J. León.
Cover photo from Rohan DaCosta
Cover art from Dr. Raina J. León
Theme song, Funky Percussions, from AudioCoffee on Pixabay
Transcript from supported by Descript ...
What is one magical moment from your childhood that you have never shared with others? Sharing those kinds of stories are important, because they will never be preserved in the documents or archives ... unless they are inscribed in a journal or something like that. This episode focuses on the importance of keeping a family reunion tradition and sharing documents, memories, stories, artifacts, and more. Share with us how you preserv...
The documents can tell you a lot, but what won't they tell you? Left-handed or not? Are your people mostly early birds or night owls? Do they like the taste of cilantro or think it tastes like soap? In this episode, we give updates of our trip to South Carolina, discoveries with the census and how my (Raina's) grandmother lived in a place we never knew (which may ultimately lead to a discovery about the location of my aunt&...
What must it feel like to lose your children? And how do your children reconcile the loss? In this podcast, we talk about Nana Sarah, the mother of Queen Ester, what we have learned about her from the records and how she appears and disappears within them (as well as in the memories of even her own family. Tell us how this inspires you to learn more about your family, even the secrets, how you get free of shame and move towards rec...
Who taught you to pray and what was your first prayer? That's our check-in question today before we consider what we have learned about Mami Juanita, Raina's paternal grandmother. In this episode, we share information from the birth certificates, interviews done in 2003 and 2014, her obituary, and personal recollections, hoping that our journey will inspire you on yours.
Cover photo from Rohan DaCosta
We have shared a great deal about our people and the methods we used to find out more information about them. In this episode, we focus on the methods we used: from birth certificates to deeds, stories to showing up at the family reunion, we share many of the ways that we have found out about our people in the hopes that it will help you find yours.
Cover photo from Rohan DaCosta
Cover art from Dr. Raina J. León
What do you really know about your own grandparents? In this episode, we learn that Eddie Thomas was a saint, a mechanic, a stubborn man, a loving husband, hoarder, a DJ, a puzzler, and a beloved father and grandfather and other things. Join us, Dr. Raina J. León and Dr. Norma D. Thomas as we share how we learned about him, through lived experience, stories, documents, photographs, and more ... and perhaps that might inspire you to...
Do you know where your people are buried? When was the last time you attended to the graves there? How you attend to the departed is a reflection of your attention to yourself, your own body, your people and your future. In this episode, we, Dr. Raina J. León and Dr. Norma D. Thomas, talk about the Black cemeteries of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, emphasizing the Thomas Family Cemetery and the Clearview Cemetery.
In this episode, we, Dr. Raina J. León and Dr. Norma D. Thomas, share our own birth and birthing stories. Do you know yours? If you have children, have you shared their beginnings? Who was there to welcome them into the world? How have you maintained relationships in community? In our cases, we were both impacted by medicalized racism and had severe health impacts as many black mothers do. Black mothers die 4 times as much as the...
In this episode, we, Dr. Raina J. León and Dr. Norma D. Thomas, begin our check in talking about music, before going into a discussion of the siblings and beginnings of Dr. Norma D. Thomas. Do you know your siblings? Do you really? It took decades for Dr. Thomas to learn fuller stories about hers in some cases and she shares some of what she has done to document their lives and celebrate all of who they are (even when they really c...
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